Cimmerian Shade
Oh don't be so surprised. What did you think would happen when you were skulking about after dark? You already knew of all the things that go bump in the night. Why should little old me suddenly bring you to your senses?
No bother, I suppose. Now that we're here though, I suppose I have a question for you. Are you scared?
Because there's darkness everywhere, little one. The space between you and I is occupied by everything and nothing, and the space between is so vast. Like an ocean of void, waiting to swallow you up. Waiting to swallow us all up, for that matter.
I'm not one to get eaten up, mind you. Not really my ideal. You, however, so soft and fragile. You could easily by swallowed up. Because there isn't much worse out there than me. But they're not here, now, are they? Because I get to decide who inhabits my space.
So the only question that is left to ask - whether you're scared or not - is: What do you want to do between where you stand now and eternity? Because it's a long trip. Answer wisely. Take your time. I'm patient.
Divine Domains
Darkness, Black Flame, and The Space Between.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
A circle with a series of semicircles, all facing downward, inlaid within. Particularly fanciful versions of these are constructed as intricate gyroscopes which can spin around on their own accord.
Tenets of Faith
There is darkness in all of us. Embrace it.
The darkness that is outside of us is my realm. Don't look beyond it.
Holidays
Samhain: The day of darkness, Samhain (pronounced sau-in) occurs on the midway point between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice. It is a pronouncement of the beginning of the darkest part of the year, and so The Cimmerian is thrown a large festival to help guide communities through this harsher part of the world. It is a night of guising and trickery; large bonfires are lit, and masquerading and guising are popular pastimes, as are drinking and revelry. This is also seen as a day where the dead, ghosts, and metaphysical beings more easily transit to-and-from the Prime Material, as it is seen as The Cimmerian is loosening his guard upon the darkness for a mere night.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The Cimmerian Shade, also known as Yami in ancient times, is a god that is feared. Whether it is because he is devious, or because his representation is that which none desire, there is a certain chill amongst proceedings with the Cimmerian. He is mysterious and aloof; he disregards, and yet always keeps patient presence in everyone's lives. A trickster, he is often blamed for many a person's ill fortunes, and for the things that go bump in the night.
However, worship of The Cimmerian is quite common in those who care for the Pantheon of the Eternals. The Cimmerian Shade is a very old god, and see as part of a whole to The First Flame. The First Flame casts light, and so there are shadows; one cannot exist without the other.
Therefore he is seen to inhabit the space between all people. He is the darkness between the campfire and the beasts of the wilds; he is the darkness that clouds a friendship, making old allies into foes; he is the darkness of an argument, where people talk past each other, missing the true purpose; he is the darkness of space, separating the Moon, The Sun, the Stars, and all that lies beyond.
But he is distinctly from this realm. He is one who values humanity, and one to is not dissuaded by true Void. Priests of The Cimmerian Shade reject that of true darkness, and instead embrace a balanced darkness - somewhere between true light and true nothingness. It is said that, should he want to, The Cimmerian Shade could consume all of reality should he embrace darkness. And yet he doesn't, showing that darkness is not infinite. Even the cruelest villain has light in them; even the most dangerous dungeon has an exit; there is never nothing at the end of a journey, although there is also no guarantee you'll reach that end in a way that you would hope. For it is easy to get lost in the darkness.
The Cimmerian Shade is popular with tricksters, thieves, and rogues. His darkness allows them to prowl, and he aids them with a bit of sly greed. He is also popular with dragonborn, half-elves and half-orcs, as he is seen as an almost force of courage from people who are so frequently discriminated against. Drow are also quite fond of The Cimmerian, as their blend of valuing the dark corners of the world as well as less-than-moral statecraft within Underdark kingdoms tend to favor the trickery embedded within The Cimmerian's dark ways. Finally, he is quite popular with Satyrs, serving as one of their three primary cultural gods. Finally, The Cimmerian is particularly well-held by soothsayers, diviners, and oracles, as the darkness is said to hold some of the deepest held truths away from mortal eyes.
The Cimmerian Shade is frequently worshiped through prayer or meditation in the dark. The darker the room, the better, although sometimes glasses, lamps, and shades are placed over candles, made to cast more shadows or illuminate rooms in beautiful hues of purple or blue. The Cimmerian Shade is also treated as something of a ghost story, particularly in Human culture, where children are told to be afraid of the darkness and night, because The Cimmerian is the one that will "get them." Certainly not bandits, or murderers, or beasts; The Cimmerian is a more friendly unknown to the real horrors.
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